GRIDCO to Purchase 400 MW Wind Power from SECI

The Grid Corporation of Odisha (GRIDCO) - a public sector undertaking of Odisha State Government – has said that it will be procuring 400 MW low cost wind power from Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) connected wind energy projects in Karnataka and Gujarat. The green power purchase by GRIDCO will be through Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for 25 years. It will begin from the financial year 2024-25.

GRIDCO said that the tariff range at which the procurement will take place will be Rs 2.96 - Rs 3.01 per unit.

GRIDCO has inked a Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with SECI in Bhubaneswar in the presence of Nikunja Bihari Dhal, Additional Chief Secretary of Energy Department. Managing Directors and Directors of all power utilities of Odisha were present during the signing ceremony.

The green energy procurement from the wind projects will help the state meet future energy demand. It will also help comply with Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO). Since the purchase agreement is for 25 years' period, the ISTS charges will be waived off.

After this Power Sale Agreement, the total contracted renewable power capacity of GRIDCO now stands at 5,203 MW. In this, the wind power is 750 MW and solar power 1,941 MW. The state utility has small hydropower of 129 MW and large hydropower of 2,363 MW. GRIDCO also maintains a 20 MW capacity of biomass energy.

A year ago, GRIDCO signed a Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for purchase of green energy. The objective was to secure 200 MW of solar power at a price of Rs 2.50 Kwh through Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) and the procurement period starts from the financial year 2024-25 for 25 years.

The Central Government has also approved three solar power parks for Odisha under the Solar Park Scheme with a cumulative capacity of 340 MW.

The Odisha Renewable Energy Policy 2016 had set a goal of installing 2,750 MW of RE capacity, but just about 25 per cent of the target was achieved.